南京大学出版社寄来新书《孙子兵法说什么—回归中的商业反思》，周末花了两天时间一气读完，读后觉得心里透亮了许多。孙子兵法经过曹操删减为13章（此说存疑），不过区区6000多字，读之味同嚼蜡，经作者用比原文长40多倍的文字的解读，我们终于可以一窥全豹了。出版商和作者对于传播和普及这一代表中华文明的巨作，功莫大焉、善莫大焉。
作为一个“叶公好龙”者，我第一次接触到孙子兵法是初中时，无意翻出家里一本薄薄得竖排石印的小册子，是用粗糙的黄草纸印刷的曹操点评的《孙子兵法十三篇》。我翻了几次，也没有看完第一章。我想多数人，即便有心想读，也和我差不多，孙子兵法原文确实相当不易读，需要相当高的文言文造诣。我想曹孟德等辈之所以为该书加上评述，大概也有这个原因，加上历史久远，当初的社会文化与2500多年后的今天又异乎天壤之别，要读通此书，决非易事。
The main text of the Art of War was translated into English 96 years ago and is no longer copyright protected, so I can reproduce it here. The weakness of gender bias Assuming your enemies and allies must be all male is at best indicative of superficial analysis. Mao (a student of the Art of War) led the victorious "People's Army" including many women. Also this translation is incomplete and the English is quite dated, but here it is: Sun Tzu on the Art of War Translated from the Chinese By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910) I. LAYING PLANS 1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance 2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either 3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant 4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; 5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete 7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, 8. Earth comprises distances, great and small; 9. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, 10. By method and discipline are to be understood 11. These five heads should be familiar to every general: 12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking 13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued 14. By means of these seven considerations I can 15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts 16. While heading the profit of my counsel, 17. According as circumstances are favourable, 18. All warfare is based on deception. 19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; 20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, 21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. 22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to 23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. 24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where 25. These military devices, leading to victory, 26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many 1. Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, 2. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory 4. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardour damped, 5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, 6. There is no instance of a country having benefited 7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted 8. The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, 9. Bring war material with you from home, but forage 10. Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army 11. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes 12. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry 13,14. With this loss of substance and exhaustion 15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging 16. Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must 17. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots 18. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment 19. In war, then, let your great object be victory, 20. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies 1. Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best 2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles 3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to 4. The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it 5. The general, unable to control his irritation, 6. Therefore the skilful leader subdues the enemy's 7. With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery 8. It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten 9. If equally matched, we can offer battle; 10. Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made 11. Now the general is the bulwark of the State; 12. There are three ways in which a ruler can bring 13. (1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, 14. (2) By attempting to govern an army in the 15. (3) By employing the officers of his army 16. But when the army is restless and distrustful, 17. Thus we may know that there are five essentials 18. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy 1. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put 2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our 4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer 5. Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; 6. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient 7. The general who is skilled in defence hides in the 8. To see victory only when it is within the ken 9. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight 10. To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; 11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is 12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation 13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes. 14. Hence the skilful fighter puts himself into 15. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist 16. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, 17. In respect of military method, we have, 18. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; 19. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as 20. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting 1. Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force 2. Fighting with a large army under your command 3. To ensure that your whole host may withstand 4. That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone 5. In all fighting, the direct method may be used 6. Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible 7. There are not more than five musical notes, 8. There are not more than five primary colours 9. There are not more than five cardinal tastes 10. In battle, there are not more than two methods 11. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. 12. The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent 13. The quality of decision is like the well-timed 14. Therefore the good fighter will be terrible 15. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; 16. Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may 17. Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, 18. Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is 19. Thus one who is skilful at keeping the enemy 20. By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; 21. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined 22. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting 23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men 1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and 2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on 3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy 4. If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; 5. Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; 6. An army may march great distances without distress, 7. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks 8. Hence that general is skilful in attack whose 9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you 10. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, 11. If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced 12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent 13. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining 14. We can form a single united body, while the 15. And if we are able thus to attack an inferior force 16. The spot where we intend to fight must not be 17. For should the enemy strengthen his van, 18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare 19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, 20. But if neither time nor place be known, 21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers 22. Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may 23. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his 24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, 25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch 26. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's 27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, 28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained 29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its 30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong 31. Water shapes its course according to the nature 32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, 33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his 34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) 2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, 3. After that, comes tactical manoeuvring, 4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route, 5. Manoeuvring with an army is advantageous; 6. If you set a fully equipped army in march in order 7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their 8. The stronger men will be in front, the jaded 9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmanoeuvre 10. If you march thirty LI with the same object, 11. We may take it then that an army without its 12. We cannot enter into alliances until we are 13. We are not fit to lead an army on the march 14. We shall be unable to turn natural advantage 15. In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed. 16. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, 17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind, 18. In raiding and plundering be like fire, 19. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, 20. When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be 21. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move. 22. He will conquer who has learnt the artifice 23. The Book of Army Management says: On the field 24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means 25. The host thus forming a single united body, 26. In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-fires 27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; 28. Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning; 29. A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when 30. Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance 31. To be near the goal while the enemy is still 32. To refrain from intercepting an enemy whose 33. It is a military axiom not to advance uphill 34. Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight; 35. Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. 36. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. 37. Such is the art of warfare. 1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives 2. When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country 3. There are roads which must not be followed, 4. The general who thoroughly understands the advantages 5. The general who does not understand these, may be well 6. So, the student of war who is unversed in the art 7. Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of 8. If our expectation of advantage be tempered in 9. If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties 10. Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage 11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the 12. There are five dangerous faults which may affect 13. These are the five besetting sins of a general, 14. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, 1. Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of 2. Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb 3. After crossing a river, you should get far away 4. When an invading force crosses a river in its 5. If you are anxious to fight, you should not go 6. Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing 7. In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern 8. If forced to fight in a salt-marsh, you should 9. In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible 10. These are the four useful branches of military 11. All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny 12. If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard 13. When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the 14. When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, 15. Country in which there are precipitous cliffs 16. While we keep away from such places, we should 17. If in the neighbourhood of your camp there should 18. When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, 19. When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, 20. If his place of encampment is easy of access, 21. Movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the 22. The rising of birds in their flight is the sign 23. When there is dust rising in a high column, 24. Humble words and increased preparations are signs 25. When the light chariots come out first and take 26. Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant 27. When there is much running about and the soldiers 28. When some are seen advancing and some retreating, 29. When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, 30. If those who are sent to draw water begin 31. If the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and 32. If birds gather on any spot, it is unoccupied. 33. If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's 34. When an army feeds its horses with grain and kills 35. The sight of men whispering together in small 36. Too frequent rewards signify that the enemy is 37. To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright 38. When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, 39. If the enemy's troops march up angrily and remain 40. If our troops are no more in number than the enemy, 41. He who exercises no forethought but makes light 42. If soldiers are punished before they have grown 43. Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first 44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually 45. If a general shows confidence in his men but always 1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, 2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides 3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before 4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard 5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy 6. When the position is such that neither side will gain 7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy 8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy 9. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, 10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are 11. If the enemy has occupied them before you, 12. If you are situated at a great distance from 13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. 14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, 15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is 16. When the common soldiers are too strong and 17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, 18. When the general is weak and without authority; 19. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's 20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must 21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's 22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts 23. If fighting is sure to result in victory, 24. The general who advances without coveting fame 25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they 26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make 27. If we know that our own men are in a condition 28. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, 29. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, 30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, 31. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and 1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground: 2. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, 3. When he has penetrated into hostile territory, 4. Ground the possession of which imports great 5. Ground on which each side has liberty of movement 6. Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, 7. When an army has penetrated into the heart of a 8. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all 9. Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, 10. Ground on which we can only be saved from 11. On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. 12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. 13. On serious ground, gather in plunder. 14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. 15. Those who were called skilful leaders of old knew 16. When the enemy's men were united, they managed 17. When it was to their advantage, they made 18. If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy 19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of 20. The following are the principles to be observed 21. Make forays in fertile country in order to supply 22. Carefully study the well-being of your men, 23. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there 24. Soldiers when in desperate straits lose 25. Thus, without waiting to be marshalled, the soldiers 26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with 27. If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, 28. On the day they are ordered out to battle, 29. The skilful tactician may be likened to the 30. Asked if an army can be made to imitate the shuai-jan, 31. Hence it is not enough to put one's trust 32. The principle on which to manage an army is to set 33. How to make the best of both strong and weak--that 34. Thus the skilful general conducts his army just 35. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus 36. He must be able to mystify his officers and men 37. By altering his arrangements and changing 38. At the critical moment, the leader of an army 39. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots; 40. To muster his host and bring it into danger:--this 41. The different measures suited to the nine 42. When invading hostile territory, the general 43. When you leave your own country behind, and take 44. When you penetrate deeply into a country, it is 45. When you have the enemy's strongholds on your rear, 46. Therefore, on dispersive ground, I would inspire 47. On contentious ground, I would hurry up my rear. 48. On open ground, I would keep a vigilant eye 49. On serious ground, I would try to ensure 50. On hemmed-in ground, I would block any way 51. For it is the soldier's disposition to offer 52. We cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring 53. To be ignored of any one of the following four 54. When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state, 55. Hence he does not strive to ally himself with all 56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, 57. Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; 58. Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive; 59. For it is precisely when a force has fallen into 60. Success in warfare is gained by carefully 61. By persistently hanging on the enemy's flank, we shall 62. This is called ability to accomplish a thing 63. On the day that you take up your command, 64. Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you 65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in. 66. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear, 67. Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate 68. At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, 1. Sun Tzu said: There are five ways of attacking 2. In order to carry out an attack, we must have 3. There is a proper season for making attacks with fire, 4. The proper season is when the weather is very dry; 5. In attacking with fire, one should be prepared 6. (1) When fire breaks out inside to enemy's camp, 7. (2) If there is an outbreak of fire, but the enemy's 8. (3) When the force of the flames has reached its height, 9. (4) If it is possible to make an assault with fire 10. (5) When you start a fire, be to windward of it. 11. A wind that rises in the daytime lasts long, 12. In every army, the five developments connected with 13. Hence those who use fire as an aid to the attack show intelligence; 14. By means of water, an enemy may be intercepted, 15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his 16. Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his 17. Move not unless you see an advantage; use not 18. No ruler should put troops into the field merely 19. If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; 20. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may 21. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can 22. Hence the enlightened ruler is heedful, 1. Sun Tzu said: Raising a host of a hundred thousand 2. Hostile armies may face each other for years, 3. One who acts thus is no leader of men, no present 4. Thus, what enables the wise sovereign and the good 5. Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; 6. Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only 7. Hence the use of spies, of whom there are five classes: 8. When these five kinds of spy are all at work, 9. Having local spies means employing the services 10. Having inward spies, making use of officials 11. Having converted spies, getting hold of the enemy's 12. Having doomed spies, doing certain things openly 13. Surviving spies, finally, are those who bring 14. Hence it is that which none in the whole army are 15. Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain 16. They cannot be properly managed without benevolence 17. Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make 18. Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every 19. If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy 20. Whether the object be to crush an army, to storm 21. The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us 22. It is through the information brought by the 23. It is owing to his information, again, that we can 24. Lastly, it is by his information that the surviving 25. The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties 26. Of old, the rise of the Yin dynasty was due to I 27. Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the
The original text is rarely gender specific, but this and many other English translations assume all troops, leaders, generals and enemies are men. This is a assumption of the translator not a statement of Sun Tzu. I believe this is a grave misunderstanding of Sun Tzu's overarching principal of independent analysis. Like western history, Chinese history has only a handful of powerful women, but those that existed were quite significant.
The Oldest Military Treatise in the World
to the State.
to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry
which can on no account be neglected.
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him
regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
times and seasons.
danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;
the chances of life and death.
sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.
the marshalling of the army in its proper subdivisions,
the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance
of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the
control of military expenditure.
he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them
not will fail.
to determine the military conditions, let them be made
the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--
with the Moral law?
(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven
and Earth?
(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
(5) Which army is stronger?
(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
(7) In which army is there the greater constancy
both in reward and punishment?
forecast victory or defeat.
upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command!
The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it,
will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!
avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances
over and beyond the ordinary rules.
one should modify one's plans.
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
and crush him.
If he is in superior strength, evade him.
irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
If his forces are united, separate them.
you are not expected.
must not be divulged beforehand.
calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
The general who loses a battle makes but few
calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations
lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat:
how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention
to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
II. WAGING WAR
where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots,
as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand
mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them
a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front,
including entertainment of guests, small items such as
glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armour,
will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day.
Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.
is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and
their ardour will be damped. If you lay siege to a town,
you will exhaust your strength.
3. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources
of the State will not be equal to the strain.
your strength exhausted and your treasure spent,
other chieftains will spring up to take advantage
of your extremity. Then no man, however wise,
will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
from prolonged warfare.
with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand
the profitable way of carrying it on.
neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.
on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough
for its needs.
to be maintained by contributions from a distance.
Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes
the people to be impoverished.
prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's
substance to be drained away.
will be afflicted by heavy exactions.
of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare,
and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated;
while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses,
breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields,
protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons,
will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.
on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions
is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise
a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty
from one's own store.
be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from
defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.
have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first.
Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy,
and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours.
The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.
one's own strength.
not lengthy campaigns.
is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it
depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.
III. ATTACK BY STRATAGEM
thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact;
to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is
better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it,
to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire
than to destroy them.
is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists
in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent
the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in
order is to attack the enemy's army in the field;
and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
can possibly be avoided. The preparation of mantlets,
movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take
up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over
against the walls will take three months more.
will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants,
with the result that one-third of his men are slain,
while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous
effects of a siege.
troops without any fighting; he captures their cities
without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom
without lengthy operations in the field.
of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph
will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.
to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one,
to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army
into two.
if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy;
if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him.
by a small force, in the end it must be captured
by the larger force.
if the bulwark is complete at all points; the State will
be strong; if the bulwark is defective, the State will
be weak.
misfortune upon his army:--
being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey.
This is called hobbling the army.
same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant
of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes
restlessness in the soldier's minds.
without discrimination, through ignorance of the
military principle of adaptation to circumstances.
This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.
trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes.
This is simply bringing anarchy into the army, and flinging
victory away.
for victory:
(1) He will win who knows when to fight and when
not to fight.
(2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior
and inferior forces.
(3) He will win whose army is animated by the same
spirit throughout all its ranks.
(4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take
the enemy unprepared.
(5) He will win who has military capacity and is
not interfered with by the sovereign.
and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a
hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy,
for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will
succumb in every battle.
IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS
themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then
waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy
is provided by the enemy himself.
3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,
but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
without being able to do it.
ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.
strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.
most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in
attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.
Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves;
on the other, a victory that is complete.
of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"
to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight;
to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.
for wisdom nor credit for courage.
Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty
of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is
already defeated.
a position which makes defeat impossible, and does
not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.
only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights
and afterwards looks for victory.
and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is
in his power to control success.
firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity;
thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances;
fifthly, Victory.
Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to
Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation;
and Victory to Balancing of chances.
a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.
of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.
V. ENERGY
is the same principle as the control of a few men:
it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.
is nowise different from fighting with a small one:
it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.
the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken--
this is effected by manoeuvres direct and indirect.
dashed against an egg--this is effected by the science
of weak points and strong.
for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed
in order to secure victory.
as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams;
like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew;
like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.
yet the combinations of these five give rise to more
melodies than can ever be heard.
(blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination
they produce more hues than can ever been seen.
(sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations
of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.
of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two
in combination give rise to an endless series of manoeuvres.
It is like moving in a circle--you never come to an end.
Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?
which will even roll stones along in its course.
swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy
its victim.
in his onset, and prompt in his decision.
decision, to the releasing of a trigger.
be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all;
amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head
or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat.
simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness
postulates strength.
simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under
a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy;
masking strength with weakness is to be effected
by tactical dispositions.
on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to
which the enemy will act. He sacrifices something,
that the enemy may snatch at it.
then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.
energy, and does not require too much from individuals.
Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize
combined energy.
men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones.
For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain
motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope;
if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if
round-shaped, to go rolling down.
is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain
thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject
of energy.
VI. WEAK POINTS AND STRONG
awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight;
whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle
will arrive exhausted.
the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage,
he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.
if well supplied with food, he can starve him out;
if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
if it marches through country where the enemy is not.
if you only attack places which are undefended. You can
ensure the safety of your defence if you only hold
positions that cannot be attacked.
opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful
in defence whose opponent does not know what to attack.
we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible;
and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire
and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid
than those of the enemy.
to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high
rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack
some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.
the enemy from engaging us even though the lines
of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground.
All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable
in his way.
invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated,
while the enemy's must be divided.
enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will
be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole,
which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few.
with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits.
made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare
against a possible attack at several different points;
and his forces being thus distributed in many directions,
the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will
be proportionately few.
he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear,
he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left,
he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right,
he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere,
he will everywhere be weak.
against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling
our adversary to make these preparations against us.
we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order
to fight.
then the left wing will be impotent to succour the right,
the right equally impotent to succour the left, the van
unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van.
How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are
anything under a hundred LI apart, and even the nearest
are separated by several LI!
of Yueh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage
them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then
that victory can be achieved.
prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover
his plans and the likelihood of their success.
activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself,
so as to find out his vulnerable spots.
so that you may know where strength is superabundant
and where it is deficient.
you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions,
and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies,
from the machinations of the wisest brains.
own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend.
but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory
is evolved.
you one victory, but let your methods be regulated
by the infinite variety of circumstances.
natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.
and to strike at what is weak.
of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works
out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called
a heaven-born captain.
are not always equally predominant; the four seasons make
way for each other in turn. There are short days and long;
the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.
VII. MANOEUVRING
1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his
commands from the sovereign.
he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof
before pitching his camp.
than which there is nothing more difficult.
The difficulty of tactical manoeuvring consists
in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting
after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him,
shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.
with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.
to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be
too late. On the other hand, to detach a flying column
for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage
and stores.
buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day
or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch,
doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage,
the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into
the hands of the enemy.
ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth
of your army will reach its destination.
the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division,
and only half your force will reach the goal.
two-thirds of your army will arrive.
baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost;
without bases of supply it is lost.
acquainted with the designs of our neighbours.
unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its
mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices,
its marshes and swamps.
to account unless we make use of local guides.
must be decided by circumstances.
your compactness that of the forest.
is immovability like a mountain.
and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory,
cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery.
of deviation. Such is the art of manoeuvring.
of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough:
hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary
objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution
of banners and flags.
whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused
on one particular point.
is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone,
or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art
of handling large masses of men.
and drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners,
as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army.
a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.
by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening,
his mind is bent only on returning to camp.
its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish
and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods.
of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:--this is the art
of retaining self-possession.
far from it, to wait at ease while the enemy is
toiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemy
is famished:--this is the art of husbanding one's strength.
banners are in perfect order, to refrain from attacking
an army drawn up in calm and confident array:--this
is the art of studying circumstances.
against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.
do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen.
Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.
Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
VIII. VARIATION IN TACTICS
his commands from the sovereign, collects his army
and concentrates his forces
where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies.
Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions.
In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem.
In desperate position, you must fight.
armies which must be not attacked, towns which must
be besieged, positions which must not be contested,
commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.
that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle
his troops.
acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he
will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.
of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted
with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use
of his men.
advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.
this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential
part of our schemes.
we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate
ourselves from misfortune.
on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them
constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements,
and make them rush to any given point.
likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness
to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking,
but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.
a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honour which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him
to worry and trouble.
ruinous to the conduct of war.
the cause will surely be found among these five
dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.
IX. THE ARMY ON THE MARCH
encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.
Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood
of valleys.
heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare.
from it.
onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream.
It will be best to let half the army get across,
and then deliver your attack.
to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross.
the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy.
So much for river warfare.
should be to get over them quickly, without any delay.
have water and grass near you, and get your back
to a clump of trees. So much for operations in salt-marches.
position with rising ground to your right and on your rear,
so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind.
So much for campaigning in flat country.
knowledge which enabled the Yellow Emperor to vanquish
four several sovereigns.
places to dark.
ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind,
and this will spell victory.
sunny side, with the slope on your right rear.
Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers
and utilize the natural advantages of the ground.
a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked
with foam, you must wait until it subsides.
with torrents running between, deep natural hollows,
confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses,
should be left with all possible speed and not approached.
get the enemy to approach them; while we face them,
we should let the enemy have them on his rear.
be any hilly country, ponds surrounded by aquatic grass,
hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods with thick
undergrowth, they must be carefully routed out and searched;
for these are places where men in ambush or insidious
spies are likely to be lurking.
he is relying on the natural strength of his position.
he is anxious for the other side to advance.
he is tendering a bait.
enemy is advancing. The appearance of a number of screens
in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious.
of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden
attack is coming.
it is the sign of chariots advancing; when the dust is low,
but spread over a wide area, it betokens the approach
of infantry. When it branches out in different directions,
it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood.
A few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the army
is encamping.
that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language
and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he
will retreat.
up a position on the wings, it is a sign that the enemy
is forming for battle.
indicate a plot.
fall into rank, it means that the critical moment has come.
it is a lure.
they are faint from want of food.
by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.
makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted.
Clamour by night betokens nervousness.
authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted
about, sedition is afoot. If the officers are angry,
it means that the men are weary.
its cattle for food, and when the men do not hang their
cooking-pots over the camp-fires, showing that they
will not return to their tents, you may know that they
are determined to fight to the death.
knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection
amongst the rank and file.
at the end of his resources; too many punishments betray
a condition of dire distress.
at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.
facing ours for a long time without either joining
battle or taking themselves off again, the situation
is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.
that is amply sufficient; it only means that no direct attack
can be made. What we can do is simply to concentrate all
our available strength, keep a close watch on the enemy,
and obtain reinforcements.
of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and,
unless submissive, then will be practically useless.
If, when the soldiers have become attached to you,
punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless.
instance with humanity, but kept under control by means
of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.
enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not,
its discipline will be bad.
insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.
X. TERRAIN
to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground;
(3) temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous
heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.
is called accessible.
the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots,
and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you
will be able to fight with advantage.
to re-occupy is called entangling.
is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him.
But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you
fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible,
disaster will ensue.
by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground.
should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable
not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing
the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has
come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.
them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await
the advent of the enemy.
do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned,
but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the
raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.
do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.
the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal,
it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be
to your disadvantage.
The general who has attained a responsible post must be
careful to study them.
not arising from natural causes, but from faults
for which the general is responsible. These are:
(1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin;
(5) disorganization; (6) rout.
hurled against another ten times its size, the result
will be the flight of the former.
their officers too weak, the result is insubordination.
When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers
too weak, the result is collapse.
and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account
from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief
can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight,
the result is ruin.
when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there
are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men,
and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner,
the result is utter disorganization.
strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one,
or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one,
and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank,
the result must be rout.
be carefully noted by the general who has attained
a responsible post.
best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary,
of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly
calculating difficulties, dangers and distances,
constitutes the test of a great general.
his knowledge into practice, will win his battles.
He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely
be defeated.
then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it;
if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not
fight even at the ruler's bidding.
and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only
thought is to protect his country and do good service
for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them
as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you
even unto death.
your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce
your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder:
then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children;
they are useless for any practical purpose.
to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open
to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition
to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
and also know that our men are in a condition to attack,
but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes
fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway
towards victory.
is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never
at a loss.
know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt;
if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your
victory complete.
XI. THE NINE SITUATIONS
(1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground;
(4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways;
(6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground;
(9) desperate ground.
it is dispersive ground.
but to no great distance, it is facile ground.
advantage to either side, is contentious ground.
is open ground.
so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire
at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.
hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities
in its rear, it is serious ground.
country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.
and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths,
so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush
a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground.
destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.
On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground,
attack not.
On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands
with your allies.
In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
On desperate ground, fight.
how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear;
to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions;
to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad,
the officers from rallying their men.
to keep them in disorder.
a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.
in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack,
I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your
opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."
the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes,
and attack unguarded spots.
by an invading force: The further you penetrate into
a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your troops,
and thus the defenders will not prevail against you.
your army with food.
and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard
your strength. Keep your army continually on the move,
and devise unfathomable plans.
is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight.
If they will face death, there is nothing they may
not achieve. Officers and men alike will put forth
their uttermost strength.
the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge,
they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country,
they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help
for it, they will fight hard.
will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to
be asked, they will do your will; without restrictions,
they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can
be trusted.
superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes,
no calamity need be feared.
it is not because they have a distaste for riches;
if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they
are disinclined to longevity.
your soldiers may weep, those sitting up bedewing
their garments, and those lying down letting the tears run
down their cheeks. But let them once be brought to bay,
and they will display the courage of a Chu or a Kuei.
shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found
in the ChUng mountains. Strike at its head, and you
will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you
will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle,
and you will be attacked by head and tail both.
I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men
of Yueh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river
in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come
to each other's assistance just as the left hand helps the right.
in the tethering of horses, and the burying of chariot
wheels in the ground
up one standard of courage which all must reach.
is a question involving the proper use of ground.
as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by
the hand.
ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.
by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them
in total ignorance.
his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge.
By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes,
he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.
acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks
away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep
into hostile territory before he shows his hand.
like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives
his men this way and that, and nothing knows whither he
is going.
may be termed the business of the general.
varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or
defensive tactics; and the fundamental laws of human nature:
these are things that must most certainly be studied.
principle is, that penetrating deeply brings cohesion;
penetrating but a short way means dispersion.
your army across neighbourhood territory, you find yourself
on critical ground. When there are means of communication
on all four sides, the ground is one of intersecting highways.
serious ground. When you penetrate but a little way,
it is facile ground.
and narrow passes in front, it is hemmed-in ground.
When there is no place of refuge at all, it is desperate ground.
my men with unity of purpose. On facile ground, I would
see that there is close connection between all parts
of my army.
on my defences. On ground of intersecting highways,
I would consolidate my alliances.
a continuous stream of supplies. On difficult ground,
I would keep pushing on along the road.
of retreat. On desperate ground, I would proclaim
to my soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives.
an obstinate resistance when surrounded, to fight hard
when he cannot help himself, and to obey promptly when he
has fallen into danger.
princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are
not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar
with the face of the country--its mountains and forests,
its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account
unless we make use of local guides.
or five principles does not befit a warlike prince.
his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration
of the enemy's forces. He overawes his opponents,
and their allies are prevented from joining against him.
and sundry, nor does he foster the power of other states.
He carries out his own secret designs, keeping his
antagonists in awe. Thus he is able to capture their
cities and overthrow their kingdoms.
issue orders without regard to previous arrangements;
and you will be able to handle a whole army as though
you had to do with but a single man.
never let them know your design. When the outlook is bright,
bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when
the situation is gloomy.
plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off
in safety.
harm's way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.
accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.
succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.
by sheer cunning.
block the frontier passes, destroy the official tallies,
and stop the passage of all emissaries.
may control the situation.
and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground.
yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle.
until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate
the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late
for the enemy to oppose you.
XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE
with fire. The first is to burn soldiers in their camp;
the second is to burn stores; the third is to burn
baggage trains; the fourth is to burn arsenals and magazines;
the fifth is to hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy.
means available. The material for raising fire should
always be kept in readiness.
and special days for starting a conflagration.
the special days are those when the moon is in the
constellations of the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing
or the Cross-bar; for these four are all days of rising wind.
to meet five possible developments:
respond at once with an attack from without.
soldiers remain quiet, bide your time and do not attack.
follow it up with an attack, if that is practicable;
if not, stay where you are.
from without, do not wait for it to break out within,
but deliver your attack at a favourable moment.
Do not attack from the leeward.
but a night breeze soon falls.
fire must be known, the movements of the stars calculated,
and a watch kept for the proper days.
those who use water as an aid to the attack gain an accession of strength.
but not robbed of all his belongings.
battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating
the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time
and general stagnation.
plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.
your troops unless there is something to be gained;
fight not unless the position is critical.
to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight
a battle simply out of pique.
if not, stay where you are.
be succeeded by content.
never come again into being; nor can the dead ever
be brought back to life.
and the good general full of caution. This is the way
to keep a country at peace and an army intact.
XIII. THE USE OF SPIES
men and marching them great distances entails heavy loss
on the people and a drain on the resources of the State.
The daily expenditure will amount to a thousand ounces
of silver. There will be commotion at home and abroad,
and men will drop down exhausted on the highways.
As many as seven hundred thousand families will be impeded
in their labour.
striving for the victory which is decided in a single day.
This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's
condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred
ounces of silver in honours and emoluments, is the height
of inhumanity.
help to his sovereign, no master of victory.
general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond
the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.
it cannot be obtained inductively from experience,
nor by any deductive calculation.
be obtained from other men.
(1) Local spies; (2) inward spies; (3) converted spies;
(4) doomed spies; (5) surviving spies.
none can discover the secret system. This is called "divine
manipulation of the threads." It is the sovereign's
most precious faculty.
of the inhabitants of a district.
of the enemy.
spies and using them for our own purposes.
for purposes of deception, and allowing our spies to know
of them and report them to the enemy.
back news from the enemy's camp.
more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies.
None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other
business should greater secrecy be preserved.
intuitive sagacity.
and straightforwardness.
certain of the truth of their reports.
kind of business.
before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together
with the man to whom the secret was told.
a city, or to assassinate an individual, it is always
necessary to begin by finding out the names of the attendants,
the aides-de-camp, and door-keepers and sentries of the general
in command. Our spies must be commissioned to ascertain these.
must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and
comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted
spies and available for our service.
converted spy that we are able to acquire and employ
local and inward spies.
cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy.
spy can be used on appointed occasions.
is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only
be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy.
Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated
with the utmost liberality.
Chih who had served under the Hsia. Likewise, the rise
of the Chou dynasty was due to Lu Ya who had served
under the Yin.
wise general who will use the highest intelligence of
the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve
great results. Spies are a most important element in water,
because on them depends an army's ability to move.
关于孙子兵法如何神妙的说法很多，而且相当国际化，比如德皇威廉丢失皇位后看到孙子兵法如何受触动，拿破仑皇帝兵败后读到孙子兵法如何顿悟，而在国内，由于这是一本兵法书，虽然书名家喻户晓、老幼皆知，但真正读过孙子兵法的人并不多，更遑论透彻地领悟她了。
